InDesign Secrets

This Week's Secret

• Finding hidden panels, controls, or menu items

• Welcome to InDesign Secrets

• Adding crop marks on your page
• InDesign Easter egg stroke styles
• Three essential InDesign scripts you already have
• Handy uses for the Show Set feature

• Create linked text using a CC Library
• Capturing a character style in a running head
• Customize the menus for a streamlined workflow

• Copy and paste object positions with the Eyedropper
• Using a section marker as a header
• Create a boilerplate text collection in CC Library
• Find indexed color images

• Activate and manage Adobe Fonts from a CC Library
• Use one frame, not many
• Create a portable InDesign document
• Create a grid with nCreate a portable InDesign document gaps
• Two GREP styles you have to know

• Tips and tricks for the Pages panel
• Learn Data Merge in five minutes
• Combine two documents to maintain pagination
• Apply corner options to corner options

• Rounded endcaps on paragraph rules
• How to tell which styles contain a font
• Keep links intact when pasting
• Find all documents that contain an image

• Pulling out key colors from placed images
• Add a time stamp to your layouts
• Adding form fields at the bottom of a contract
• Working with Google Docs in InDesign

• Adding descriptions to scripts
• Threading filled frames
• Clearing all overrides from a particular style
• Custom page numbering tricks
• Use blend modes to highlight text on images

• Where did the application bar widgets go?
• Making speech bubbles
• Working with ligatures
• Quick tips for numbered lists

• Your first GREP style—no codes!
• Change page size fast with the Page tool
• Sharing InDesign elements between versions
• Shadows and special effects on drop caps

• Auto-expand acronyms
• Knock a hole in an object
• Three ways to abolish runts (short last lines)
• Variable fonts

• Browse all Adobe Fonts from inside InDesign
• Create object styles for page positioning
• Using math in InDesign fields
• Freeze the top row of a table

• 417 Share layout elements with older versions
• 419 Tips for managing Adobe fonts in InDesign
• Find the special character you need fast

• 414 One click to better-looking type
• 415 Set up tables with footnote numbering
• 416 Copy colors, styles, or master pages across
• 418 Right-align numbers in a numbered list

• 409 Copy and paste effects
• 410 Tell InDesign to do your math homework
• 411 Manage the Edit Keyboard Shortcuts dialog
• 412 Three InDesign navigation shortcuts you need to know
• 413 Create a fast-and-easy fake duotone

• 405 When to use Balance Ragged Lines feature
• 406 Fix spacing between items in a list
• 407 Share parts of a layout with another designer
• 408 The master page trick

• 401 Import PDF comments from old PDFs
• 402 Draw on text frame above another
• 403 Import PDF comments from Document Cloud
• 404 Use InDesign Find and Replace for hyperlinks

• 397 Properties panel: Formatting objects
• 398 Change balanced ragged lines to pyramids
• 399 Properties panel: Text and styles tips
• 400 Change the space between objects fast!

• 393 Case-sensitive spell checks for custom words
• 394 Transform points to create amazing shapes
• 395 Properties panel: Tips for the new user
• 396 The right way to make a table style

• 388 Split a text frame into multiple threaded frames
• 389 Add notes to CC Library items
• 390 Use Split Window when choosing text colors
• 391 Copy layers from one layout to another
• 392 Swap text and images with a free script

• 384 Out-of-gamut warnings when choosing colors
• 385 Larger previews of CC Library items
• 386 Snippets: The easiest way to save and share styles
• 387 Move CC Libraries around with a file

• 380 Fill empty table cells with this script
• 381 Tips for targeting table strokes
• 382 Free, high-quality maps in vector format
• 383 Favorite Bridge tips for InDesign users

• 376 Make cast shadows
• 377 Loose and tight body styles
• 378 Change your measurements and rulers
• 379 Troubleshoot missing fonts

• 371 Determine type specs in a PDF
• 372 Add or remove columns while editing a story
• 373 Convert a PDF to an editable INDD
• 374 Animation: Fly in diagonally
• 375 Script editing for nonscripters

• 364 The mysterious _GoBack bookmark
• 365 Quick check for TypeKit fonts
• 366 Paste with and without text formatting
• 367 The line breaks of Paragraph Composer

• 368 PB, DT, and OV in the Links panel
• 369 Shared CC Libraries tips
• 370 Run scripts with Quick Apply or shortcuts

• 360 Find spacing problems
• 361 Use the No Break option to format characters
• 362 Find/Change to add text to many table cells
• 363 Export all text

• 351 Change default fonts
• 352 Best default RGB
• 353 Use Adobe Bridge to find fonts
• 354 Discretionary line breaks
• 355 Scale pictures inside a layout

• 356 Numbering items in a diagram
• 357 Extract anchored text frames
• 358 When Paragraph Style has no effect
• 359 Efficient ways to format paragraph styles

• 348 Make a quick grid from objects on your page
• 349 Utilize the new note feature
• 350 Exchange or swap two images

• 339 Change default keyboard shortcuts
• 340 Mapping one color swatch to another
• 341 Find free InDesign templates on Adobe Stock
• 342 Numbering items in a diagram
• 343 Border spacing fix

• 344 Insert a line before and after a heading
• 345 View track changes and export with InCopy
• 346 Export to HTML5
• 347 How to merge paragraph shading

• 335 Edit spacing from the keyboard
• 336 Create perfect triangles
• 337 Footnote and endnote keyboard shortcuts
• 338 Publish Online statistics

• 326 Changing word or character spacing in a paragraph style
• 327 Preflight profile to check for Typekit fonts
• 328 Naming items in the Layers panel
• 329 Distinguish among multiple working documents

• 330 Add corner brackets around a frame
• 331 InCopy with InDesign workflow
Add space around lists with spans
• 332
• 333 Tips for formatting text spacing
• 334 Free script to rotate selected characters
January 2018
• 322 Change character style for text inside parentheses
• 323 Typekit tips: Workarounds
• 324 Top 10 keyboard shortcuts to know
• 325 Link text frames
December 2017
• 319 Use Creative Cloud to share InDesign files
• 320 Combining Animated GIFs with InDesign Animations
• 321 Conditional text with editorial notes
November 2017
• 315 Streamline placement of auto-formatted images
• 316 Pay attention to Transparency Blend Space
• 317 Color fills with Eye Dropper
• 318 How to split a long story into smaller pieces
September 2017
• 307 Two ways to ignore text wrap
• 308 Easily insert glyphs with free script
• 309 Create better publish online thumbnails
• 310 View publish online document stats
October 2017
• 311 Make Word act like InDesign
• 312 Create Cross-Refs with a page range
• 313 Quick Apply preferences
• 314 Duplicate objects into a Grid
August 2017
• 302 Automate a numbered list with check boxes
• 303 Import a style with Find/Change
• 304 Create a calendar with CalendarWizard
• 305 Keep options for table rows
• 306 Automatically crop multiple images
July 2017
• 298 How to embed a YouTube video
• 299 Shrink your InDesign files
• 300 Remove blue highlighting from text
• 301 Embed a two-column text frame
May 2017
• 289 Display overriding styles
• 290 Work with scripts
• 291 Overview of working with CC libraries
• 292 Automatically format run-in headings
June 2017
• 293 Modify the Pages panel view
• 294 Adjust table strokes in Table Settings
• 295 Place and replace Artboards with a script
• 296 Incorporate Photoshop files into InDesign layouts
• 297 Share CC libraries with other users
April 2017
• 285 Replace formatted text with lorem ipsum
• 286 How to format ellipses
• 287 Merge book files with a free Script
• 288 Create a maze with a free script
March 2017
• 280 Screen redraw problems
• 281 Share a CC library
• 282 Make an image break out of its frame
• 283 Use Quick Apply to Drag and Drop
• 284 How to correct hyphenation
January 2017
• 272 Reverse text when partially over a dark object
• 273 Set tab order for forms
• 274 When white is set to overprint
• 275 When the Control panel is missing controls
February 2017
• 276 Make a grid of pages from a PDF file
• 277 Fix fraction problems in EPUBs
• 278 Adjust space between a group of objects
• 279 CC Libraries: Share vs. Collaborate overview
December 2016
• 268 Techniques to convert text to outlines
• 269 Fix Illustrator place problems
• 270 Work with new Animated Zoom features
• 271 Add images to an index
November 2016
• 264 Use a script to set the table subhead row style
• 265 Keep your templates current
• 266 Export selection or page as a sized JPEG or PNG
• 267 When all your numbers are superscript
September 2016
• 255 Check resolution in a PDF
• 256 Character style highlighting
• 257 Convert a list to a table
• 258 Move InDesign artwork to Photoshop
• 259 Include summaries in your table of contents
October 2016
• 260 Batch process images
• 261 Update swatches by syncing
• 262 Build and apply kerning tables
• 263 Sync master pages
August 2016
• 251 Share one layout among many ID users with Layout Zone
• 252 Clean out old hyperlinks and hyperlink destinations
• 253 Crop many overlapping pix at once
• 254 Find the hex number for any color
July 2016
• 247 Use InCopy to create linked boilerplate text for layouts
• 248 Keyboard shortcuts for special characters
• 249 Create layout notes in InDesign for InCopy users
• 250 Keyboard shortcut to insert special glyphs inside a font
June 2016
• 242 When a tab really means new line
• 243 Export all the fonts in a layout without packaging
• 244 Format the first line of a paragraph with Line Styles
• 245 Place all PDF pages at once
• 246 The problem with blending spot colors
April 2016
• 234 Free script identifies word stacks
• 235 Easier style mapping from Word to InDesign
• 236 Auto-reflow images in a grid
• 237 Making your style names “legal” for EPUBs
May 2016
• 238 See your document in grayscale onscreen
• 239 Packaging without the instruction file
• 240 Side-by-side tables
• 241 Three ways to move styles from one InDesign file to another
March 2016
• 229 Batch converting ID files to current version with the Book panel
• 230 Getting around InDesign limitations
• 231 Creating better callout lines with effects and object styles
• 232 Swapping column and row information in tables
• 233 Making bigger text link targets
February 2016
• 225 Discovering secrets of the Tabs panel
• 226 Making object styles to change frame size
• 227 Tips for using Edit Original
• 228 Setting text at an angle
December 2015
• 218 Copying and pasting Photoshop paths
• 219 Customizing frames in Normal View
• 220 Placing paragraph lines for emphasis
January 2016
• 221 Finding and editing all overset text in a doc
• 222 Adding paragraph shading
• 223 Forcing chapter names down from the top with a style
• 224 Creating custom color swatches
October 2015
• 210 Working with pasteboard options
• 211 Tips and tricks for paragraph shading
• 212 Incorporating spring-loaded tool shortcuts
• 213 Making InDesign run faster
• 214 Formatting text quickly with Apply Next
November 2015
• 215 Making a print PDF do double-duty as an online PDF
• 216 Adding continued headers to tables
• 217 Choosing which layout objects get packaged for the printer
September 2015
• 206 Creating Intertwining Objects
• 207 Fixing style collisions in EPUB output
• 208 Navigating through pages with bookmarks
• 209 Creating a keyboard shortcut for the [None] character style
July 2015
• 197 Permanently disabling hyphenation
• 198 Adding prefixes to page numbers
• 199 Taming baseline grid previews
• 200 Using Work and Turn to create two-sided documents
• 201 Making better Bridge previews
August 2015
• 202 Formatting drop words in a text document
• 203 Sharing custom workspaces
• 204 Creating a
• 205 Managing scripts
May 2015
• 189 Placing InDesign files
• 190 Make an image sandwich: Putting an image in front and in back of text for a magazine cover
• 191 Deciding between reflowable and fixed-layout EPUB
• 192 Test font choices quickly in CC
June 2015
• 193 Printing tracked changes
• 194 Using Ink Manager before sending your project to the printer
• 196 Working with dynamic layouts
April 2015
• 184 Put a box around or behind a paragraph
• 185 Fixing three common Word formatting glitches
• 186 Making long shadows
• 187 Three ways to prevent a word from hyphenating
• 188 How to type the last page number in a book
February 2015
• 176 Quickly empty out an InDesign document of text and images
• 177 Add a font from Typekit in CC
• 178 How to hide the content grabber donut
• 179 File naming for healthy EPUBs
March 2015
• 180 One-sided custom strokes for image borders
• 181 The fastest way to find missing links
• 182 Start a document on a left-hand page
• 183 Borrowing preset art paths from Illustrator and Photoshop for fresh frame looks in InDesign
January 2015
• 172 Making a character style change only the tint of your text
• 173 Editing table set up from the keyboard
• 174 How to sort text in InDesign
• 175 Making captions easy (ignore text wrap object style library item live caption)
December 2014
• 169 All about All Caps (change case open type option)
• 170 Batch convert InDesign files to IDML and other formats
• 171 Fun with placeholder text
November 2014
• 166 Creating blank entry spaces on forms
• 167 Creative uses of the Slug area
• 168 Change the UI languaging in InDesign CS6 and CC
October 2014
• 161 Keeping page numbers on top of master items
• 162 Adding automatic currency symbols in a table cell or before text
• 163 Make a pop-up footnote for your ebook
• 164 Deleting tabs at the beginning of paragraphs and applying a paragraph style
• 165 Five InDesign Presentation tips
September 2014
• 157 Sharing swatches (PS/IL/ID and ID to ID)
• 158 Convert rounded corners to editable paths
• 159 Convert local formatting to character styles
• 160 Sort an index by page number
August 2014
• 153 When InDesign ignores your leading values
• 154 Extracting images from a Word document
• 155 Uncommon uses for Quick Apply
• 156 Uncovering InDesign's magic font folders
July 2014
• 148 Cropping with paste into
• 149 Using vertical justification to spread out text in a frame automatically
• 150 Rotate text inside a frame, or the frame around the text
• 151 Looking at snippets vs. libraries
• 152 Import a folder full of pictures, one per page
June 2014
• 144 Lay out a front back and spine for a book jacket
• 145 Ghosting area of image behind text
• 146 Make a transparency mask in InDesign
• 147 Using preflight to find common document errors
May 2014
• 139 Faking bold and italic when the font family doesn’t have one
• 140 Keeping the same scale size when updating or relinking to images
• 141 Inserting glyphs
• 142 Building richer, bolder color gradients
• 143 Finding the right font with InDesign’s font menus
April 2014
• 135 Fitting text to a specific size
• 136 Quick tips for making a small PDF file size
• 137 Sharing presets, workspaces, and custom shortcuts sets
• 138 Making a multi-level numbered list
March 2014
• 131 Changing the shape of polygons and starburst as you draw or afterward
• 132 Contextual text and images that you only want sometimes visible
• 133 Creating nav points in a movie
• 134 Adding effects to your rule above and rule below
February 2014
• 127 Making automatic jump lines
• 128 Turning off allow pages to shuffle in order to separate facing pages
• 129 Dealing with parentheses around text size
• 130 Make a fill in the blank label for contracts and forms
January 2014
• 122 Allow text frame to resize with text
• 123 Mapping Word styles to InDesign styles
• 124 Make two automatically threaded text flows
• 125 Saving for Web in InDesign
• 126 Numbering rows in a table
December 2013
• 119 Making alternative body text styles for fast typesetting
• 120 Making InDesign patterns with the free PatternMaker
• 121 Creating pull quotes the easy way
November 2013
• 116 Selecting text with the InDesign keyboard dance
• 117 Including a total page count in your page numbers
• 118 Making a custom arrowhead
October 2013
• 111 Packaging images on the pasteboard
• 112 Automatically updating figure references for books
• 113 Adding Tool Tips to your form fields in InDesign
• 114 Setting poetry, flush left, center on longest line
• 115 Use bookmarks to navigate long documents in production
September 2013
• 107 Using the same keyboard shortcut for two different commands with the Context feature
• 108 Making a text highlighter
• 109 Updating an interactive PDF without losing work done in Acrobat
• 110 Adding custom text at the beginning of each line automatically
August 2013
• 103 Converting text to outlines the right way
• 104 Turning InDesign into a speed demon
• 105 Working with MiniBridge
• 106 Customize your QR codes
July 2013
• 099 Aligning Objects tips and tricks
• 100 Applying corner options to any shape
• 101 Converting footnotes to endnotes with a free script
• 102 Making tab leaders pretty
June 2013
• 095 Managing changing pages with primary text frames
• 096 Secrets of the Info panel
• 097 Surprising ways to do a word count
• 098 Placing an object where you want it with an object style
May 2013
• 089 Three great Object Styles for any designer
• 090 Choosing alpha channel image transparency
• 091 Adding and reading metadata for InDesign files
• 092 Adding ALT tags to your images
• 093 How to Place & Link a text frame's text but not its formatting
• 094 Setting the baseline position of a caption
April 2013
• 085 Using Illustrator to create InDesign gradient swatches
• 086 Building a simple grep style to change character size
• 087 Exporting a grayscale PDF
• 088 Three ways to cheat text outside of its frame
March 2013
• 081 Creating a custom cross-reference format
• 082 Putting different-sized pages on a single spread
• 083 Formatting prices with nested and grep styles
• 084 Checking out the Gridify tricks
February 2013
• 077 The secrets of formatting objects with Find/Change
• 078 Using ruler guides: 10 great tricks
• 079 Converting a clipping path to a frame
• 080 Adding a drop shadow to a single word inside a frame
December 2012
• 069 Ten uses of the Story Editor
• 070 Moving an object: Ten ways!
• 071 Understanding optical margin alignment (and the quote trick)
• 072 Changing the shape of any frame with the pen tool
January 2013
• 073 Working with sets in the content conveyor tool
• 074 Running text along the top and the bottom of a circle
• 075 Creating a list using the Table of Contents feature
• 076 Quickly threading frames together and unthreading frames
November 2012
• 065 Customizing the story editor preferences
• 066 Setting the size of text exactly with this free script
• 067 Using Gravity to simulate perspective
• 068 Fixing the overflowing text frame problem in EPUBs
October 2012
• 061 Embedding images
• 062 Adjusting leading inside a paragraph
• 063 Placing one InDesign file inside another
• 064 Creating bookmarks for PDFs
September 2012
• 057 Text wrapping
• 058 Inserting pages: Understanding the Pages panel
• 059 Copying paths between Illustrator and InDesign
• 060 Automating Find/Change with the Find/ChangeByList script
August 2012
• 051 Five things that should be in every new file
• 052 Forcing EPUB page breaks with invisible objects
• 053 Understanding component information
• 054 Creating running heads using section markers
• 055 Making a font with InDesign using the IndyFont script
• 056 Finding where that color is used
July 2012
• 047 Specifying an exact amount of space between objects
• 048 Fixing last lines that are too short
• 049 Creating web graphics from your InDesign artwork
• 050 Using “No Language” to suppress unwanted hyphenation, spell-checking, and smart quotes
June 2012
• 043 Formatting fractions correctly
• 044 Fixing unwanted hyperlinks in an imported Word file
• 045 Inline graphic tricks with invisible paragraphs
• 046 Ensuring the first line of every chapter starts in the same spot
May 2012
• 037 Updating a linked table without losing formatting
• 038 Creating electronic sticky notes
• 039 Moving master page items to the top layer for visibility
• 040 Five guide tricks that will impress your coworkers
• 041 Letting InDesign add the diacritics
• 042 Using single-cell table cells for custom paragraph formatting
April 2012
• 033 Importing a custom dictionary
• 034 Changing document orientation and page size
• 035 Numbering instead of using auto page numbers
• 036 Setting story order with the Articles panel
March 2012
• 027 Creating running heads using variables
• 028 Live Caption tips and tricks
• 029 Making professional drop caps
• 030 Making two-state buttons in interactive documents
• 031 Moving pages from one document to another
• 032 Wrapping bulleted text around a curve
January 2012
• 019 Using multiple windows for comparisons
• 020 Putting images on a stroke
• 021 Making your own motion path
• 022 Copying objects between Illustrator and InDesign
February 2012
• 023 Using layer comps in Photoshop files to show alternates in InDesign
• 024 Adding custom HTML tags to EPUB/HTML exports
• 025 Tracking down type issues with the composition highlighter
• 026 Managing your InDesign panels
December 2011
• 015 Aligning numbered lists by decimal points
• 016 Running a script
• 017 When text disappears from a text frame
• 018 Preview and Presentation modes (changing color etc.)
November 2011
• 011 InDesign's Easter eggs
• 012 Three cool GREP styles everyone can use
• 013 A field guide to special characters
• 014 Trashing the application preferences to solve weird behaviors
October 2011
• 007 Selecting through and into objects using cmd-click and Select Above/Below
• 008 Some great tips and tricks for the Swatches panel
• 009 Saving down for backward compatibility with INX and IDML
• 010 Using the INX and IDML formats to fix problems
August 2011
• 001 The hidden "auto-expand text" feature
• 002 Letting InDesign do the math for you
September 2011
• 003 The indispensible Quick Apply feature
• 004 Customizing the Links panel
• 005 Magically building graphs with the Chartwell font
• 006 Using the Eyedropper tool to pick up character or paragraph attributes